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Hi Team. In previous versions of Vectorworks Landmark the User Origin is recognised by the shapefile importer & exporter as the 0,0 point for GIS data. This allows shapefiles to be generated directly from drawings which have an offset User Origin through a previous CAD file import (eg. from a civil engineer or surveyor). You simply georeference the layer to the coordinate system of the received CAD file, and export. It also allows a shapefile imported into an existing drawing based on a previously imported CAD file to appear in the correct position, provided that the shapefile and the CAD file share the same coordinate system. In Vectorworks Landmark 2020 I've found so far that both the shapefile import and export functions ignore any User Origin settings, and handle GIS data relative to the Internal Origin only. This prevents a shapefile from being correctly exported from a drawing with an offset User Origin (through previous import of a surveyors CAD file), and results in shapefile data imported into drawings with an offset User Origin appearing at the wrong numerical coordinates within Vectorworks. Perhaps for technical reasons the introduction of the new Geolocate and Geoimage tools required this separation of GIS and CAD workflows, but it certainly seems like a step backwards in terms of CAD/GIS integration. I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts.

This has happened to a few of us all working on separate drawings now - our drawing information sometimes seems to transport itself way way off grid, with no particular pattern as to why? Can anyone shed any light on this? In terms of our workflow, all of our drawings are set up initially using design layer viewport referencing, to reference in information such as topographic survey, architects / engineers layouts etc, from separate Vectorworks files. All of these referenced layers are set to 'Centre first import, align all subsequent imports' when initially importing into their own files from DWG. Once all of these design layer viewports are referenced (and sense checked that they are in the correct place and suitably stacking on top of each other,) we are then choosing to centre drawing on internal origin, before we begin adding our own information. We then use the design layer referenced viewports as a base to work from to inform our own design, which we draw on a separate layer(s) but in the same position, often snapping etc to the referenced layers and turning things on and off. Sheet layers are created with annotations etc, using both our own layers and the referenced layers. The file can be used for days or weeks working correctly. But then, suddenly we will notice that a sheet layer is only showing annotations and any referenced layers, with none of our own drawing information. The design layer references all remain in their original position, but our drawn information is appearing anywhere up to 250,000km away, and requires to be moved back into place. Is there a reason for this / something we can fix in our workflow to avoid? Or is this a bug of some sort?

It's surprisingly often that I receive drawings from collaborators where their drawing seems to have little or no relationship to the internal or vectorworks origin. When my work is for the stage, my preference is always that the plaster line, proscenium line, firecurtain line or similar be zero, zero. When the job is in a tent, a site location or hotel room, I will want to place everything in relation to a room element, landmark or site-specific item. I find it a trial to turn everything in the incoming drawing on, unlock the locked items and then move it all to where it belongs. It's possible that I can't see the forest for the trees here but… I wish I could tell VW to move the drawing from a click onscreen (or other specified point) to the Vectorworks Origin.

In VW, I hear that the maximum distance from origin is about 2 or 3 miles. ( it starts to round calculations- all programs have a limit i think) Anything outside of that can make Vectorworks act unexpectedly and give inaccurate information. I sometimes do surveys with VW and once in a while a large job gets much bigger than expected. I called tech support, they were not positive on the real number, is there anyway to find out EXACTLY what that number is so i can make sure i am not having errors? I also hear that some other programs can go about 20 miles from origin. Are there any plans for VW to improve on this anytime in the future? if not, can you mention it to the landmark guys. maybe someday they can make it happen.:)) Thanks ric VW 2017 macbook PRO early 2016 version 16g ram 2gb video

I buggered around with my Storey levels half through a project (removing a Storey for "Site" that was 20 mm below ground floor FFL) and now I have this problem with textures being offset by 20 mm and I don't know how to reset them. In the attached screen shot you can see a new wall I pasted into the file on the right. The texture mapping is 20 mm lower than it should be. The texture on the left is an existing wall. If I copy paste both these walls into a new file the texture mapping will match each other. If I set them both to use World Z For Origin things get even worse. So how do correct/reset all of this in the original file?